The issue of educational technology in early childhood is a subject that has to be carefully balanced. In the case of preschoolers, kindergarten preparedness should be based on concrete discovery, interpersonal communication, and sensual experience, which form the initial neural pathways. As much as technology is a tool, its application has to be very deliberate, restricted, and closely monitored so that it does not substitute, but enhances important developmental processes. Such a conservative and intentional attitude is agreeable to the philosophy of Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready, which focuses on experiential and holistic learning. This conscious attitude of families going through this terrain means that technology does not take away the vital skill-building that Kinder Ready Tutoring insists on, which supports the overall ambition of Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley.
The first one is that the use of screen-based technology must never take the place of active and physical play and human interaction. Fine and gross motor skills are developed when the child plays with blocks, crayons, and outdoor games, which cannot be substituted. On the same note, social-emotional learning, which takes place in face-to-face interaction, cooperative play and reading with a caregiver, is central. The Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready strategy emphasizes that such real-life experiences are pillars of readiness that cannot be compromised and on which any supporting tool is based.
Technology must be of good quality, interactive and co-experienced when in use. The best ones are the ones where a child has to problem-solve, to make decisions or to create, but not to watch passively. Moreover, when the parent or educator is involved, i.e., in discussing the material, linking it to the real world, and fixing time restrictions, the most useful use can be achieved. This turns a monologue screen time into an interactive learning experience. This guided and intentional interaction principle resembles the interactive, adult-facilitated model of Kinder Ready Tutoring and Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley’s focus on relationship-based learning.
In addition, technology may act as a stepping stone to practical activity, but not a goal. A brief, good-quality video on living things in the ocean would lead to visiting an aquarium or doing an artwork on underwater life. The interactive map may result in the use of a physical globe to explore it. Curiosity is ignited by technology in this model and flows to the real world. This integrative thinking is promoted in the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready framework, which tries to make each learning related to the tangible experiences of a child.
Finally, it is aimed at developing the skills of a child to study and concentrate without being dependent on digital devices. The fundamental competencies of academic success are executive skills, patience, and creativity, which are acquired in the process of analog play. Kinder Ready Tutoring is concentrated on the development of these skills with personal and hands-on interaction, not screens. A media plan by a family should guard time for such important activities. It is an efficient implementation of the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready vision that a child learns to be ready on a sound foundation of real-life exploration and interpersonal bonding.
For further details on Kinder Ready’s programs, visit their website: https://www.kinderready.com/.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethFraleyKinderReady
